Transforming The World Creativity and Innovation Website Into An Empowering Hub Across the Globe—Case Study

The team at L Street Collaborative had the privilege of partnering with World Creativity and Innovation (WCI), a United Nations recognized organization dedicated to championing creativity worldwide through various global initiatives, fostering personal connections, and facilitating resource sharing. Serving as a vibrant hub for creatives on an international scale, WCI perfectly aligns with our passion at L Street Collaborative to share design strategy.

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As WCI's annual celebration approached—marked by World Creativity and Innovation Week commencing on April 15th and culminating in World Creativity and Innovation Day on April 21st—there was a pressing need to enhance their online presence. That’s where L Street Collab stepped in with proven expertise in the field of website and brand refreshes. This project was extra special to our team because our own President, Amber Manna, sits on the International Advisory Board.

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This case study delves into the intricacies of the website redesign project, detailing the process, hurdles encountered, and the impactful outcomes achieved.

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Client Concern & Partnership Goals

The World Creativity and Innovation website serves as a pivotal hub for creatives globally, providing an interactive platform for resources, connections and events. However, the existing website lacked functionality, aesthetics and ease of use. The organization sought a fresh design approach that balanced visual cleanliness with clarity in messaging. 

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Key priorities included overhauling a faltering events submission portal, streamlining the backend for improved internal management, and revamping the brand identity to further elevate the look and feel. 

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Objectives:

• Enhance the overall user experience by improving website navigation and usability.
• Update the design to reflect WCI’s mission and messaging.
• Strengthen celebrations event portal for expansion and upgraded functionality. 
• Facilitate a space for creating meaningful connections. 
• Increase engagement by providing valuable content and resources.
• Optimize the website for mobile responsiveness.
• Refresh backend interactions for streamlined use across multiple users.
• Provide process documentation for seamless handoff and continual maintenance. 
• Maintaining language localization for the international audience.

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‍L Street Collab Solution

WCI's global influence is showcased through its website, serving as the primary hub for event information. With nearly 2,000 events listed in their database—and many more to come—significant efforts were invested to ensure long-lasting broad accessibility to this platform.

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Research & Visual Identity Exploration

The project commenced with a thorough examination of the current website, incorporating user input, performance evaluations, and brand assessments. This comprehensive review identified pain points and opportunities for improvement in both construction and design aspects. Drawing from these insights, the L Street team generated various visual identity concepts, each exploring different imagery, interactions, and approaches.

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Collaborating closely with the WCI team, L Street refined these visual options to establish a clear direction for expansion and devised a strategy for execution. As a result of this effort, the decision was made to undertake a complete reconstruction of the WordPress website, focusing on enhancing functionality while also ensuring a smooth transition by efficiently importing content.

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Build & Review

The build phase of the project commenced with the creation of the homepage, with a focus on thorough review and approval to set the standard for subsequent edits. Given the green light, the design was systematically implemented across the remaining pages of the site, prioritizing based on page importance. 

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The WCI stakeholders reviewed each page as it was completed, This approach enabled iterative review and construction, effectively minimizing the timeline and ensuring an efficient workflow.

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Testing & Launch

Extensive testing was conducted to identify and address any potential usability issues that may have surfaced during the development process. Every aspect of the website's functionality and user experience were evaluated and optimized for seamless performance across all platforms and screen formats. 

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As a forward-thinking agency, L Street embraces a variety of AI development tools to produce unique custom results more efficiently. Utilizing these resources, our team created consistent, personalized imagery in WCI brand colors that would have otherwise been extremely time-intensive through more traditional methods.

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After thorough testing and final approvals, the new website was launched. With its contemporary design and enhanced performance, users were greeted with an intuitive interface that facilitated easy navigation.

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Final Results & Lasting Benefits

Following the launch of the new site, our team continued to monitor and optimize pages as live data came in. Users were given the ability to seamlessly submit event registration information into the event calendar, empowering individuals and organizations to actively participate in the World Creativity and Innovation community. A comprehensive database of over 50 creative resources and network connections with 60 innovative leaders was readily accessible, providing users with a wealth of inspiration and support for their creative celebrations. The site is accessible in six languages, lending to building connections on a global scale and across the 160 participating countries. 

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Process Documentation & Handoff

The L Street team facilitated WCI's lasting success by providing automatic notifications through Elementor and Mailchimp integrations. WCI staff members now receive emails with each event registration submission data, along with automatic updates to their CRM contacts.

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Additionally, we developed a comprehensive process document detailing the steps, procedures, and guidelines necessary for updating and managing the site. This document ensures both parties have confidence in the consistency and accuracy of information on the site going forward. By establishing standardized procedures, L Street can remain a trusted partner for WCI as they continue to grow and develop their content. 

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“There is a saying in business. Companies offer speed, quality, and price…but you can only choose two. With L Street, we got all three plus outstanding service. Working with L Street has been magical. And it was no small feat. We requested the impossible.

They talked with us. They got to know our real problems. They saw our real vision. When we asked, they listened, heard, and implemented all of our feedback - even when minute and nuanced.

We set deadlines. They beat them. It was seamless. They are a joy. We could not recommend them more highly. Thank you L Street."
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— Jim Friedman, Chief Steward, and Bethany Schwan, Associate Steward
     World Creativity and Innovation